Oxfordshire SPOONBILL

As Terry and others have reported, the EURASIAN SPOONBILL was still on the Flood field at Otmoor RSPB at about 12 o'clock today (found initially by Phil Barnett last night). For anyone who doesn't know the reserve, the Flood is to the north of the reserve, near the village of Oddington. The field can't be accessed from the main body of the reserve, i.e. the section containing the the main car park, reedbed and visitor trails.

If you want to see the bird, please park in the village of Oddington. Out of respect for our neighbours, please avoid blocking any driveways or tracks. Also, please keep in mind that agricultural traffic regularly travels through the village, so please leave as much room as possible. There is a phone box in the centre of the village by a track. Follow this track downhill until it crosses a bridge. After the bridge, carry on straight through the kissing gate, to the left of the locked double metal gates, and follow the track until its conclusion,a about a kilometre walking.

Signs have been put up to guide you from this point, but for information, cross into the field and turn immediately right. We have temporarily opened up an access track for a few days through the small gate (please close after use as livestock are present in the field). This track is rough and overgrown, so shorts not recommended! Please keep below the banks to avoid disturbance until you reach a small screened area, approximately 500 meters, by a telegraph pole. From here, you should be able to see the bird to the right.

Martin Randall, Warden, RSPB Otmoor Nature Reserve, C/o Folly Farm, Common Road, Beckley, Oxford, OX3 9URT: Martin.Randall@RSPB.org.uk

Total Now reaches 385

With the addition of three new species this past week (BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, AQUATIC WARBLER and BARRED WARBLER), the total number of species recorded in 2009 in Britain and Ireland reaches 385 (Lee Evans)

Local Mega - COLLARED PRATINCOLE in Cambridgeshire

A moulting adult COLLARED PRATINCOLE was discovered by Tim Dee and Claire Spottiswood at Tubney Fen NT, SE of Wicken Fen (Cambs), at 1940 hours this evening. It was flycatching from the ground and occasionally hawking for insects over the pool and then, for no apparent reason, suddenly took directive flight and headed low south towards open farmland at 2105 hours. It was presumably the same as that seen in Lincolnshire at the weekend and most likely the adult that has summered in Britain.

By dusk, just 12 people had connected, this occurrence representing the fourth Cambs record, following an adult at Wicken Fen in May 2005 (John Oates et al).

DIRECTIONS: Follow the B1102 northwards from the A14 and then in Swaffham Prior village, head NW towards Reach village. Continue towards Upware and park by the NT gate about half a mile west of Reach village and then walk along the track to view the pool on the right at TL 554 664.

Mark Hawkes and Lee Evans

MARSH WARBLERS breed for second year at Spurn

MARSH WARBLER - superbly captured on film by Martin Garner

Marsh Warblers have again bred at Spurn (East Yorks) for the second year in succession, where up to 3 juveniles can be viewed along Beacon Lane. They favour the area around the overgrown pond to the north of the caravan site.

If visiting please do not enter the caravan site and view ONLY from the lane itself not the rough ground to the north of the site as this is still part of the site and private, you may see birders in this area but they will be caravan owners and have permission to be there.

For all Spurn Bird Observatory news, browse http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/

The LADYBIRD invasion

Further images depicting last week's SEVEN-SPOT LADYBIRD invasion in North Norfolk - Tim Allwood, John Miller (2 images), Paul Hill and Vicky Francis (bottom 2)

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER makes top billing

In East Norfolk, an adult BAIRD'S SANDPIPER is present for a third day, feeding with 2 Ringed Plovers and an adult summer Little Stint on Rush Hills Scrape, visible distantly from the hide on the Weaver's Way footpath, a mile walk eastwards from Potter Heigham church. The waders on the scrape are very flighty due to the continual presence of a breeding pair of Hobbies.

In Hampshire, a SPOTTED CRAKE remains on the main Farlington Marsh Lagoon, favouring the mud at the extreme east end of the pool visible distantly from the sea wall adjacent.

The juvenile CATTLE EGRET continues at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), favouring fields by Heron's Green Pool, with the resident drake Ferruginous Duck visible with roosting Aythyas in the adjacent bay.

MARSH WARBLERS have bred for the second year running at Spurn Point (East Yorks), that same location attracting 1-2 BARRED WARBLERS yesterday afternoon.

The adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at the Frampton Marsh RSPB (Lincs), along with 4 Wood Sandpipers, but with no sign of yesterday's moulting adult COLLARED PRATINCOLE.

Two COMMON CRANES spent part of the day at Kynnersley Moor (Salop), with the GREAT WHITE EGRETS still present at Hen Reedbeds (Suffolk) and on Meare Heath scrapes (Somerset).

The long-staying adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues to show well just downstreal of the wooden bridge by the main car park at Aberlady Bay (Lothian).

In Fife, both summering rare species of wildfowl are still to be found at Lochgelly Loch - the drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK and the eclipse drake RING-NECKED DUCK (view from the steps on the north side of the loch), whilst in Aberdeenshire, the adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB reserve.

A juvenile PURPLE SANDPIPER was an excellent inland record for Rutland Water (Leics), showing from the Dunlin Hide on Egleton NR Lagoon 4, with 36 Little Egrets present in the North Arm.

Of minor interest, large numbers of Marsh Harriers are now on the move post-breeding, along with numerous Wood Sandpipers (including up to 5 juveniles at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex). A Wood Warbler was an excellent local record in Alexandra Park (London), with another at Warden Point, Sheppey (Kent), with light easterlies inducing a trickle of drift Pied Flycatchers, especially on the Norfolk coast.

EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARDS have had an excellent breeding season in Britain with birds now showing again at Wykeham Forest (North Yorks) and at Welbeck Park (Notts)

RECENT NEWS

The first AQUATIC WARBLER of 2009 was trapped and ringed at Thurlestone Ley (South Devon) on Thursday, with the first BARRED WARBLER at Firth (Orkney) on 6. An adult ROSE-COLOURED STARLING was in Bude (Cornwall) on 6 and a male RED-BACKED SHRIKE at Blakeney (Norfolk) on 9.

KENTISH PLOVERS appeared at Canvey Island (Essex) on 7 August, with another at Dawlish Warren NNR (South Devon) on 9, with a moulting adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN with 22 Black Terns at Staines Reservoirs North Basin (Surrey) on 7 and at Snettisham RSPB (Norfolk) briefly on 6 and a juvenile MARSH SANDPIPER with 2 Common Greenshanks at Bough Beech Reservoir (Kent) on the evening of 6.

An unprecedented wave of WILSON'S STORM PETRELS

An unprecedented displacement of WILSON'S STORM PETRELS (Oceanodroma oceanicus) took place over the past weekend, involving up to 64 individuals. With a deep Atlantic depression fast moving towards NW Europe on 30 July and with two birds off Bridges of Ross (County Clare) on 29 July (Owen Foley) and a single from a Scilly pelagic NW of St Martin's on 31 July, expectations were high for the weekend.

Counties Clare and Kerry (SW Ireland) were lashed by strong NW winds whilst at the leading edge of the front, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire were met with very warm, moist SW winds. As a result, WILSON'S STORM PETRELS were somehow mixed up with this relatively unseasonal autumnal weather, with a staggering 27 individuals streaming past Bridges (Dermot Breen, Dave Fitzpatrick, Donal & Owen Foley, Dave McNamara, Finbarr McGabhainn, John N Murphy, et al) and a further 15 (no doubt including some of the former) off Brandon Point (County Kerry).

Whilst two showed well from a specially chartered fishing boat 8 miles NW of St Ives Island (Cornwall) (Brian Mellow, Royston Wilkins, Paul Freestone, et al), two more lingered beyond the Runnel Stone with 3 European Storm Petrels off Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra (Cornwall), from 0650-0945 hours (Russell Wynn, John Swann, et al) and another flew west past Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) and with news filtering through, afternoon pelagics yielded at least 9 near the Seven Stones Reef off Scilly (Bob Flood et al) and a further 5 up to 20 miles NW of Padstow (Cornwall).

In days past, when seawatching was much in its infancy, finding just 1 Wilson's often involved looking at 3,000 or more European Storm Petrels but in this recent invasion, the ratio was surprisingly small, with Bridges only logging 300 pelagicus.

Amazingly, as quick as they appeared, subsequent visits to the same areas in the Western Approaches off Scilly in the following days failed to locate any, perhaps confirming that a large wave of feeding and migrating birds were forced to move eastwards to avoid the inclement weather and sea conditions.

LADYBIRDS OF PLAGUE PROPORTIONS

Hi Lee,

The ladybird invasion here is really quite unbelievable and it’s quite a sad sight to see so many dead and dying amongst the millions of live ones. The difference in numbers between the immediate coastal strip and my garden - I live just over 1 mile from the sea – is quite incredible with the numbers dropping by perhaps 99%+. They are nearly all 7-spots with much less of 2-spots and 14-spots. I’ve seen a couple of Harlequins Harmonia axyridis amongst them too, one each of the variations conspicua and succinea, the former a really smart insect despite their alleged potential as a threat to up to 1,000 species of native British wildlife. I’m not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination but I’ve attached 3 photos that might give some idea of the scene. They were taken along the cliff top a few hundred yards east of Happisburgh village; the whole of the cliff top path is littered with them as are the crops and natural vegetation in a quite narrow coastal strip. It’s also been a fantastic summer so far for butterflies with higher numbers than I have seen for many years of Painted Lady, Large White, Ringlet and Meadow Brown. I’ve even seen a wandering Dark Green Fritillary near the village and a single Clouded Yellow on a nice patch of Red Clover along the cliff. I’m now waiting for the predicted explosion in Painted Lady numbers and crossing my fingers for a Camberwell Beauty...(James R Appleton, Happisburgh, Norfolk)

North Norfolk LADYBIRD invasion hitting plague proportions

Ladybird numbers hitting a new high along the beach at Cley today. Astonishing numbers....millions (literally). By far the "biggest" day of the invasion so far. Swarms along the very top of the shingle ridge as far as you can see. I saw one couple walking along the beach as I came home with an umbrella up to shield them from the invaders....(Mark Golley)

Adult-type GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO at Weybourne Camp - for its 14th day

Phil Bishop obtained these excellent images of the GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO as it fed in the scrub just east of the Westher Station

More images of Norfolk's recent star attractions - the PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER and GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO

Adrian Kettle obtained these shots over the weekend depicting the heavily worn adult-type GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO at Weybourne Camp and the moulting adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER at Breydon Water

Ladybird Invasion inhibits viewing of vagrant cuckoo

Due to a heavy work commitment of late, I finally managed to get to North Norfolk today where the adult-type GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO first discovered by John Furse at Gramborough Hill, Salthouse, on 23rd July was still present.

For the majority of this 13-day period the heavily worn bird has been holed up in the dense Hawthorn and Blackberry scrub on the sea-facing slope of Weybourne Camp, just under a mile from where it was initially first seen. Since Saturday morning when it was relocated, it has been showing well intermittently in the scrub just west of the main building complex on the camp and was still present today, excellent views being attained by myself and 50 or so others for over 40 minutes early afternoon.

The bird is very heavily worn and is in adult-type plumage, with its silvery-grey ear-coverts and crest, paler forehead, creamy-yellow chin, throat, neck-sides and upper breast, white thighs, lower breast, vent and undertail coverts and grey mantle. The white scapular spots are very worn and abraded, as are those on the forewing coverts and across the upperwings, whilst in flight, the outer primaries are dark grey and there is no apparent warmth (rustiness) to any of the flight feathers. The upper tail feathers are dark and long with some whitish barring on the undertail apparent.

DIRECTIONS: Park in the designated car park on the A149 on the dangerous bend just east of the school in Kelling village (if full, park sensibly and courteously on the village road opposite) and then walk north towards the beach. After flanking the Kelling Water Meadows, turn right along its northern edge and then left after 70 yards towards the beach. Continue eastwards along the coastal footpath skirting the perimeter fence of the camp and after 100 yards, scan the low bushes and scrub west of the building complex and bunkers. The bird is typically mobile and has moved towards the eastern end of the compound in recent days but generally favours this area above.

It represents only the seventh record for Norfolk, with the most recent twitchable being at Blakeney Point and environs from 7-11 July 1992 (see Evans, Rare Birds in Norfolk, page 115, for a detailed analysis of previous records). There is a more recent record of an adult at Waxham, Sea Palling and Cart Gap on 28th March 1999 (published photograph in Birding World 12: 93).

When walking the final 50 yards to the beach at Kelling, one suddenly becomes aware of SEVEN-SPOT LADYBIRDS (Coccinella septempunctuata). They begin emerging from every blade of grass as you walk and fly up into your face as you march on. By the time you reach the shingle, the track is so covered with dead Ladybird carcasses that you cannot fail to realise that all is not right. This area and virtually all of the North Norfolk coast from Horsey west to Titchwell is plagued by these beetles, with a mass immigration involving many tens of millions if not billions. I and others stood waiting for the cuckoo to appear and became absolutely covered in them, frequently receiving an irritating 'nip' as they bit into the skin. This is the first invasion of the species since the long hot summer of 1976 and today in the light winds and hot weather, they were streaming in off the sea and making life quite unpleasant. They were massing on every fencepost, nettle, vehicle, person, building and shingle stone they could cling to and had presumably arrived from Central Europe.

Images by kind courtesy of Phil Jones

CATTLE EGRET on my BERKSHIRE LIST at last

FRIDAY 31 JULY

An extract from LGRE Diary Notes July 2009

A much better day than recently with blue skies, puffy cloud and temperatures reaching 24 degrees C

After a couple of false starts yesterday, I was delighted to get another opportunity to twitch Berkshire's second-ever CATTLE EGRET today. Ken Moore telephoned me at 1320 hours to say that the bird had just reappeared at the main pit west of Padworth Lane, despite the fact that Ken had failed to locate it all morning. I immediately jumped in the car and made my way to the M40 and subsequently the A404 and M4. It was 45 miles in total and at 1430 hours, I eventually arrived and joined Ken, CDRH, Mike McKee and Martin Sell.

Thankfully on my part, it was third time lucky. The CATTLE EGRET was roosting on the shingle ridge just 35 yards west of the working Komatsu caterpillar. I was immediately struck by its plumage - it was in almost full breeding with rich orange-ginger jowel feathers, crown feathers and mantle plumes. Not what I expected for late July and memories of past escaped coromandus came flowing back. The colours were not as intense though, nor reddish or deep chestnut in tone. I checked up with my close friend Keith Vinicombe and he confirmed that the two adults at Chew Valley Lake (Avon) that he had seen yesterday (with a single juvenile) were also equally well-marked. I had only seen one such well-marked individual in late summer and that was by the A1 near Brampton (Cambs) in August 2007. Furthermore, Hancocks 'Herons and Egrets of the World' suggested individual adults varied enormously in their moult strategies and a percentage remained in breeding plumage until early September.

The ginger colouring also extended on to the nape whilst the remainder of the plumage was pure white. The bill was typically orange whilst the legs were pinkish contrasting with darker feet.

It roosted for much of the time, drinking twice before being flushed and flying a couple of times and resettling with Canada Geese on the far tip of the spit. It quickly returned to the shingle ridge and then spent the best part of an hour resting and occasionally preening and largely partly hidden. It then returned to the water to drink and took seven 'sips' before retreating back to the vegetation. During this time, numerous other birders arrived, including Derek Barker, Adam Bassett, Roger Stansfield and Fraser Cottington. Under virtual constant observation from 1430, it was flushed by the pit contractors at 1616 hours and then flew east across the road and landed out of view in a meadow beyond the River Kennet. In flight, it could be seen that it was missing its innermost primary.

Two Sparrowhawks, HOBBY, Common Buzzard, Common Kingfisher, a southerly passage of 16 Sand Martins and a swimming Grass Snake were also recorded at the pit.

It represents only the second record for Berkshire.

After I departed at 1620, Chris Heard relocated the bird shortly later in a field with grazing cattle east of Padworth Lane before it returned once more to the main pit. It flew off east again at 1715 hours. It then did the same again and was relocated 300m east of the pits in a large Oak at the far end of the field with cattle, 250m east along the footpath which starts 100m south of the Kennet. It was also visible from the canal bridge (but not from Kennet bridge) and was present in the Oak until 19:20, when it left the tree and headed west but was not seen to land on the pit (Paul Bright-Thomas)

DETAILED DIRECTIONS

From the M4 at Junction 12, head west along the A4 for about three miles to Padworth village. Just before the roundabout and just after the Total garage turn left into Padworth Lane. Cross the railway then the river and continue for 600 yards to just before the River Kennet and park sensibly on the verge thereabouts (making sure as not to block the farmer's gate). The Cattle Egret is favouring the pit at SU 607 673 easily viewed from the footpath that leads west from the bridge.

Scilly's second-ever MARSH SANDPIPER headlines

MARSH SANDPIPER on Scilly (Robin Mawer), LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Paull Holme Strays (East Yorks) (3 images - Brett Richards), SLAVONIAN GREBE on the Exe Estuary (Devon) (Gary Thoburn) and BLACK-NECKED GREBE in Avon (Gary Thoburn)

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 31 July, issued at 2200 hours and published in close association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers whilst utilising additional information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, BirdGuides, local email groups and websites and individual observers.

On the Isles of Scilly, adult MARSH SANDPIPER continues to show very well on Porthellick Pool, wading in the shallow water at either end of the pool. Approach the Sussex Hide with care.

In Norfolk, the adult breeding plumaged PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER remains for its 9th day, keeping to the saltings and adjacent mud of low tide at Breydon Water (Keith Dye et al), whilst an adult summer WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, the first of the year (382), showed well on Buxton Lagoon at Welney WWT Reserve.

After another successful breeding year, a family party of 3 CATTLE EGRETS have spent a second day at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), the juvenile showing well in the cattle field just north of Herons Green Pool, whilst in Berkshire, a further adult in full breeding attire remains for a second day at Padworth Lane GP (2nd county record) (Ken Moore, Roger Stansfield, et al). The long-staying GREAT WHITE EGRETS remain at Minsmere RSPB Island Mere (Suffolk) and Meare Heath (Somerset)

A heavily worn NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE present until at least mid April resurfaced today on wires by the B6277 just south of Alston Moor Golf Club entrance at NY 725 439, at Alston Moor (Cumbria), whilst a male EUROPEAN SERIN was seen briefly in a Holm Oak at Keyhaven Marshes (Hants)

ROSEATE TERNS which bred on Coquet Island and elsewhere are now migrating south down the North Sea coast, with 6 at East Chevington Pools (Northumberland), 7 at Low Newton-by-the-Sea (Northumberland) An adult SABINE'S GULL flew north past Flamborough Head (East Yorks) this morning.

In Fife, Loch Gelly continues to host both an eclipse drake RING-NECKED DUCK and a drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK, where they can both be 'scoped from the steps on the North Bank. An adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire), whilst the adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues to show well downstream of the wooden bridge at Aberlady bay (Lothian).

A record count of 70 Yellow-legged Gulls roosted at Grafham Water (Cambs) this evening (Mark Hawkes)

Wood Sandpipers include singles at Chelmarsh Reservoir scrape (Shropshire), Priory Marsh, Christchurch Harbour (Dorset) and Grove Ferry (Kent), with 2 at Welney WWT (Norfolk)

The long-staying summer-plumaged adult SLAVONIAN GREBE remains on the Exe Estuary generally offshore of Cockwood (South Devon), whilst the late summer build up of RED-NECKED GREBES in the Firth of Forth includes 19 adults visible from the Ferny Ness car park (Lothian). Two BLACK-NECKED GREBES are at Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs)

Inland, Common Redstarts were displaced overnight, with 4 on the Quainton Hills (Mid-Bucks) and numerous others elsewhere, along with small numbers of Northern Wheatears.

THE STORY SO FAR - TOTAL NOW 382

The Story So Far…………2009

So, by the end of 2009 Week 30, a total of 382 species has been recorded in Britain and Ireland

Week 30: 382 species

1) Red-throated Diver
2) Black-throated Diver
3) Great Northern Diver
4) WHITE-BILLED DIVER (8)
5) Slavonian Grebe
6) Black-necked Grebe
7) Little Grebe
8) Great Crested Grebe
9) Red-necked Grebe
10) Northern Fulmar
11) Cory’s Shearwater
12) Great Shearwater
13) Manx Shearwater
14) Balearic Shearwater
15) Sooty Shearwater
16) European Storm Petrel
17) WILSON’S STORM PETREL (7+)
18) Leach’s Storm Petrel
19) Northern Gannet
20) BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS (1)
21) Atlantic Great Cormorant (including Sinensis)
22) European Shag
23) Eurasian Bittern
24) LITTLE BITTERN (2)
25) BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (5)
26) CATTLE EGRET (67+)
27) SQUACCO HERON (1)
28) Little Egret
29) GREAT WHITE EGRET (30+)
30) Grey Heron
31) PURPLE HERON (7)
32) WHITE STORK (2+)
33) BLACK STORK (1+)
34) GLOSSY IBIS (1)
35) Eurasian Spoonbill
36) Mute Swan
37) Whooper Swan
38) Bewick’s Swan
39) ROSS’S SNOW GOOSE (1)
40) SNOW GOOSE (5)
41) Eurasian White-fronted Goose
42) Greenland White-fronted Goose
43) Taiga Bean Goose (240)
44) Tundra Bean Goose (22)
45) Pink-footed Goose
46) Greylag Goose
47) Atlantic Canada Goose (including Todd’s)
48) SMALL CANADA GOOSE (including Richardson’s, Taverner’s & Cackling)
49) Barnacle Goose
50) Dark-bellied Brent Goose
51) Pale-bellied Brent Goose
52) BLACK BRANT
53) RED-BREASTED GOOSE (1 – 8 feral not countable)
54) Common Shelduck
55) EUDDY SHELDUCK (3+ - continental immigrants from self-supporting populations)
56) Egyptian Goose
57) Mandarin Duck
58) NORTH AMERICAN WOOD DUCK (1)
59) Mallard
60) Gadwall
61) Pintail
62) NORTH AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (4)
63) Northern Shoveler
64) Eurasian Wigeon
65) AMERICAN WIGEON (8)
66) Common Teal
67) American Green-winged Teal
68) Garganey
69) BLUE-WINGED TEAL (1)
70) Northern Pochard
71) Red-crested Pochard
72) FERRUGINOUS DUCK (6)
73) Greater Scaup
74) LESSER SCAUP (9)
75) Tufted Duck
76) RING-NECKED DUCK (9)
77) Common Eider
78) KING EIDER (5)
79) Common Scoter
80) Velvet Scoter
81) SURF SCOTER
82) Long-tailed Duck
83) Common Goldeneye
84) Smew
85) Goosander
86) Red-breasted Merganser
87) Ruddy Duck
88) White-tailed Sea Eagle
89) Osprey
90) Golden Eagle
91) Red Kite
92) BLACK KITE (8+)
93) Marsh Harrier
94) Hen Harrier
95) Montagu’s Harrier
96) PALLID HARRIER (1)
97) ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD
98) Common Buzzard
99) European Honey Buzzard
100) Eurasian Sparrowhawk
101) Northern Goshawk
102) Common Kestrel
103) RED-FOOTED FALCON (1+)
104) Hobby
105) Peregrine
106) Merlin
107) GYRFALCON (2)
108) Red Grouse
109) Ptarmigan
110) Capercaillie
111) Black Grouse
112) Red-legged Partridge
113) Grey Partridge
114) COMMON QUAIL
115) CORNCRAKE
116) Common Pheasant
117) LADY AMHERST’S PHEASANT (3)
118) Golden Pheasant (43)
119) Water Rail
120) SPOTTED CRAKE (3)
121) Moorhen
122) Eurasian Coot
123) COMMON CRANE (50+)
124) Oystercatcher
125) Pied Avocet
126) BLACK-WINGED STILT (1)
127) Stone Curlew
128) COLLARED PRATINCOLE (2)
129) BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE (1)
130) ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE (1)
131) Little Ringed Plover
132) Ringed Plover
133) KILLDEER (1)
134) KENTISH PLOVER (8)
135) Grey Plover
136) Dotterel
137) European Golden Plover
138) PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (2)
139) AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (5)
140) Lapwing
141) Red Knot
142) Sanderling
143) Purple Sandpiper
144) Turnstone
145) Dunlin
146) Curlew Sandpiper
147) Temminck’s Stint
148) Little Stint
149) Wood Sandpiper
150) Green Sandpiper
151) Common Sandpiper
152) SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1)
153) TEREK SANDPIPER (3)
154) Common Redshank
155) Spotted Redshank
156) Common Greenshank
157) MARSH SANDPIPER (1)
158) Black-tailed Godwit (both islandica and limosa)
159) Bar-tailed Godwit
160) Eurasian Curlew
161) Whimbrel
162) Woodcock
163) Common Snipe
164) Jack Snipe
165) GREY PHALAROPE
166) Red-necked Phalarope
167) BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (1)
168) WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (1)
169) WESTERN SANDPIPER (1)
170) Ruff
171) BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (4)
172) PECTORAL SANDPIPER (15+)
173) LESSER YELLOWLEGS (5)
174) SOLITARY SANDPIPER (1)
175) STILT SANDPIPER (2)
176) LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (IRELAND only)
177) Great Skua
178) Pomarine Skua
179) Arctic Skua
180) Long-tailed Skua
181) Black-headed Gull
182) BONAPARTE’S GULL (4)
183) Common Gull
184) RING-BILLED GULL
185) Mediterranean Gull
186) Herring Gull (Argenteus & Argentatus)
187) NORTH AMERICAN HERRING GULL (IRELAND only)
188) Yellow-legged Gull
189) Caspian Gull
190) GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (1)
191) Lesser Black-backed Gull
192) Great Black-backed Gull
193) Little Gull
194) Kittiwake
195) SABINE’S GULL
196) GLAUCOUS GULL
197) ICELAND GULL (including Kumlien’s)
198) IVORY GULL (2)
199) LAUGHING GULL (4)
200) FRANKLIN’S GULL (3)
201) Little Tern
202) Sandwich Tern
203) GULL-BILLED TERN (2)
204) Common Tern
205) Arctic Tern
206) Roseate Tern
207) CASPIAN TERN (3)
208) AFRICAN ROYAL TERN (1)
209) FORSTER’S TERN (1, IRELAND only)
210) Black Tern
211) WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN (10+)
212) WHISKERED TERN (10+)
213) Little Auk
214) Atlantic Puffin
215) Black Guillemot
216) Common Guillemot
217) Razorbill
218) Rock Dove
219) Stock Dove
220) Woodpigeon
221) Eurasian Collared Dove
222) European Turtle Dove
223) Common Cuckoo
224) GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO (2)
225) Tawny Owl
226) Eurasian Eagle Owl
227) SNOWY OWL (4)
228) Long-eared Owl
229) Short-eared Owl
230) Barn Owl
231) Little Owl
232) European Nightjar
233) Common Swift
234) PALLID SWIFT (2)
235) ALPINE SWIFT (6+)
236) EURASIAN HOOPOE (35+)
237) Common Kingfisher
238) EUROPEAN BEE-EATER (30+)
239) BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER (2)
240) Ring-necked Parakeet
241) Green Woodpecker
242) Great Spotted Woodpecker
243) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
244) WRYNECK
245) Skylark
246) CRESTED LARK (1)
247) Woodlark
248) GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK (8)
249) SHORE LARK (1)
250) Sand Martin
251) Barn Swallow
252) RED-RUMPED SWALLOW (40+)
253) House Martin
254) TAWNY PIPIT (1)
255) RICHARD’S PIPIT (6)
256) Water Pipit
257) Rock Pipit (including Scandinavian)
258) Meadow Pipit
259) Tree Pipit
260) RED-THROATED PIPIT (1)
261) White Wagtail
262) Pied Wagtail
263) Yellow Wagtail
264) EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (1)
265) BLACK-HEADED WAGTAIL (2)
266) CITRINE WAGTAIL (2)
267) Grey Wagtail
268) Wren
269) Dipper
270) Dunnock
271) BOHEMIAN WAXWING
272) European Robin
273) Common Nightingale
274) THRUSH NIGHTINGALE (4)
275) BLUETHROAT (18)
276) Common Redstart
277) Black Redstart
278) Northern Wheatear
279) BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR (1)
280) Whinchat
281) Common Stonechat
282) Song Thrush
283) Redwing
284) Mistle Thrush
285) Fieldfare
286) Common Blackbird
287) Ring Ouzel
288) WHITE’S THRUSH (1)
289) Garden Warbler
290) Blackcap
291) Lesser Whitethroat
292) Common Whitethroat
293) WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER (including Moltoni’s)(15)
294) EASTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER (3)
295) Dartford Warbler
296) Sedge Warbler
297) FAN-TAILED WARBLER (1)
298) Grasshopper Warbler
299) RIVER WARBLER (2)
300) SAVI’S WARBLER (3)
301) Cetti’s Warbler
302) Western Reed Warbler
303) MARSH WARBLER (29+)
304) BLYTH’S REED WARBLER (1)
305) PADDYFIELD WARBLER (1)
306) GREAT REED WARBLER (4)
307) ICTERINE WARBLER (56)
308) MELODIOUS WARBLER (17)
309) EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER (1)
310) Willow Warbler
311) Wood Warbler
312) EASTERN BONELLI’S WARBLER (1)
313) Common Chiffchaff
314) Siberian Chiffchaff
315) IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF (1)
316) GREENISH WARBLER (2)
317) Yellow-browed Warbler
318) HUME’S LEAF WARBLER (1)
319) Goldcrest
320) Firecrest
321) Spotted Flycatcher
322) RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER (1)
323) Pied Flycatcher
324) WHITE-COLLARED FLYCATCHER (2)
325) Great Tit
326) Blue Tit
327) Coal Tit
328) Crested Tit
329) Marsh Tit
330) Willow Tit
331) Long-tailed Tit
332) Bearded Tit
333) PENDULINE TIT (9)
334) Nuthatch
335) Common Treecreeper
336) RED-BACKED SHRIKE (44)
337) WOODCHAT SHRIKE (18)
338) NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE
339) LESSER GREY SHRIKE (2)
340) Magpie
341) Jay
342) Jackdaw
343) Red-billed Chough
344) Rook
345) Carrion Crow
346) Hooded Crow
347) Common Raven
348) Common Starling
349) ROSE-COLOURED STARLING (4)
350) GOLDEN ORIOLE
351) House Sparrow
352) Tree Sparrow
353) Chaffinch
354) Brambling
355) Linnet
356) Twite
357) Lesser Redpoll
358) Mealy Redpoll
359) Greenland Redpoll (including Icelandic)
360) SCANDINAVIAN ARCTIC REDPOLL
361) Goldfinch
362) Greenfinch
363) Siskin
364) EUROPEAN SERIN
365) Bullfinch
366) Hawfinch
367) Common Crossbill
368) Scottish Parrot Crossbill
369) TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL (1)
370) COMMON ROSEFINCH (7)
371) WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (1)
372) Reed Bunting
373) LITTLE BUNTING (5)
374) Snow Bunting
375) Lapland Bunting
376) RUSTIC BUNTING (1)
377) ORTOLAN BUNTING (9)
378) Yellowhammer
379) Cirl Bunting
380) Corn Bunting
381) BLACK-HEADED BUNTING (1)
382) BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (4)

Also under consideration – Australian Black Swan (Category C) and Canvasback (female from Argyll)

LOCAL MEGA - MARSH SANDPIPER on the ISLES OF SCILLY

A MARSH SANDPIPER was discovered this evening on Porthellick Pool, St Mary's, feeding in front of the Stephen Sussex Hide. First seen at about 2030 hours, it was present until dusk. It represents the second archipealgo record following a juvenile present on Tresco Great Pool from 22nd-25th July (MSS et al). It also represents the first record in Britain in 2009 - species number 380.

WILSON'S STORM PETREL seen and photographed from shark fishing boat out of Newquay, Cornwall

WILSON'S STORM PETREL, 'At Sea' NW of Padstow, Cornwall, 26 July 2009 (James Hanlon)

Since 2005 Richard Pierce of the Shark Trust and the Shark Conservation Society has been running cage-diving trips off North Cornwall to allow close-up views and interaction with Blue Sharks. These trips have been successful and very popular with shark enthusiasts.

I went on my first trip with them on 27th July 2008 when we steamed some 11 miles NW of Padstow for chumming. Though no Blue Sharks appeared I did locate 2 WILSON'S PETRELS among the 100+ European Storm Petrels coming to chum and excellent views were obtained down to around 25 m. Another trip later in the week turned up similar numbers of 'stormies' but no Wilson's.

This year our chumming area was nearby, some 5 miles SW of the area I had seen the Wilson's last year and roughly 7 miles WNW of Trevose Head. Conditions were very choppy but eventually a single WILSON'S PETREL materialised amongst the Stormies though it remained relatively distant and could never be seen well. Though almost impossible to observe through binoculars I did manage to obtain some images and close cropping has revealed the full suite of characters which could not be picked up in the field (most observation was with the naked eye) (see images above). The bird came into view several times throughout a 25 minute period.

I have yet to encounter another birder on any of these trips, though apparently there have been 1 or 2, their highlights including Grey Phalarope, Sabine's Gull and one other Wilson's petrel.

Anyone wishing to participate should contact Shark Cornwall via the Shark Conservation Society website. Trips run during the summer months from Padstow and/or Bude and cost around £95 for a full day but you should book early as they are very popular. The price includes hire of wetsuits etc should you wish to jump in with the sharks. With three Wilson's seen over three trips it appears they could be as regular off mainland Cornwall as they are off of Scilly. You just have to go and find them (James Hanlon)

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER at Breydon Water

Adult summer PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER just beginning to moult, Breydon Water, Norfolk, 24 July 2009 (James Kennerley)

I had the good fortune of seeing this bird 'in the flesh' today at Breydon Water (initially along the NE shore from 0928-0951 and then in the muddy bay viewable from within the hide at 1135) and also the good fortune of seeing Andrew Grieve there. .

I struggle to see that this bird is in 'rapid moult' as has been suggested but merely that one flank is more moulted than the other, revealing much more white on one side (as in the Dutch bird). It does appear to have moulted some undertail coverts, but more white on the sides of the undertail is typical of fulva anyhow.

To my eye, this bird is an obvious PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER with little attenuation at the rear end, little primary extension beyond the tail, obviously longer tertials and remarkably long tibia. The overall structure is different from last week's adult at Cley and it has a pale base to the bill and a more pointed, thicker-based bill (the Cley bird has a typical short, small bill). It is a horizontal-poised, front-end feeder with a pot belly unlike the sleek, attenuated and long-primaried bird at Cley. It has a broad white eye-stripe and paler mantle definition, with more noticeable spangling.It is moulting but not particularly fast and still retains a majority of black underpart feathering. Adult summer AGP's moult later and most retain much of their black underpart feathers until October wheareas any PGP will be almost fully moulted by the first week in September.

Andrew gave me some very good information regarding the spring bird and it is clear he has put an awful amount of time and energy into investigating this occurrence. Much of what he says I agree with, particularly about the structure of the bill and the reasoning behind much of the genetic make-up of fulva. However, I still stand by a commitment to that bird being a dominica, particularly on the primary/tertial ratio and extension, but I do agree that the ageing of that particular bird is a bone of contention and will continue to be so. I still have it down as a first-summer. Andrew's investigations suggest it may have been a second-summer.

Going back to the current bird, I believe it IS the same individual as that in Holland on 21 July

A red-letter day - BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS glides past Porthgwarra and a FAN-TAILED WARBLER zits along North Kent coastline

SUNDAY 26 JULY

Excerpt from Steve Rogers

''As predicted, the seawatch today at Porthgwarra (West Cornwall) was truly superb. A strong south-westerly wind in front of an advancing Atlantic low depression is a locally known signal that some good seawatching could be on the agenda. Perhaps surprisingly then, only 14 birders showed up. Sadly no one had any cameras with them....I'm hopping mad with myself but considering the rain and normal distance of birds at Pg, no one thought a camera would be needed ! Until 8.30 am that is.Fourteen of us saw the first or second year BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS today at 0824 hours. Brian Mellow first found the bird, with myself, Royston Wilkins, Linton Proctor, Mark Warren, Mark Wallace, Daniel Eva, Chris Craig and remaining visitor birders from up the line. Russell Wynn, the Seawatch Southwest co-ordinator, independently saw it from lower down the cliffs and kept it in view from 0831-0834 as it glided slowly west towards the Longship Lighthouse.It appeared from the extreme left of the coastline as it lazily progressed round the coast, hugging the cliffs no more than a couple hundred yards off-shore. The views were exceptional and it even circled a couple times directly in front of us. The complete fly past lasted about three or four minutes. The slow, meandering flight was similar to a Cory's Shearwater and it seemed to be on view for ages.

The bird was aged as immature, first or at most second calendar year. The underwing was generally dark with a narrow pale underwing bar, barely noticeable unless you looked for it. The bill was a horn grey colour with a darker tip. I saw no hint of pink or yellow which would be associated with an older bird. The head was white, contrasting against a grey nape and collar extending down the side of the neck. The upper tail showed a dark lateral band. Undertail white. The upperwing was blackish brown, slightly browner on the mantle and back''.

Previous Cornish records of Black-browed Albatross
There are surprisingly just two accepted records of Black-browed Albatross from mainland Cornwall:

1982: St Ives Island. 5th Oct.
1988: Porthgwarra. 30th Aug.1999:

At sea. Outside of the two mile maritime boundary, 10 miles offshore. This record is not included in the totals as it is outside of the Cornish mainland area two mile limit.

It was another good day for Balearic Shearwaters passing Porthgwarra, with a single GREAT SHEARWATER too. Two Pomarine Skuas also flew west.

At the opposite end of the UK coastline, Andy Malone witnessed a 'zitting' FAN-TAILED WARBLER flying west over West Beach, Whitstable (North Kent) at 1130 - almost in the same location as a briefly-staying bird last year.

In East Norfolk, a moulting adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER remains for a fifth day at the east end of Breydon Water, favouring the mud in the NE corner opposite the tern platforms and showing well. This bird was previously misidentified as an American Golden Plover but is NOT the adult AGP recently present at Cley on 16-17 July. It flew off just after 1100 hours but returned this evening at 1920.

A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was briefly at the River Almond mouth, Cramond (Lothian) on the ebbing tide, whilst in the same county, the adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues to attract admirers feeding just downstream of the bridge adjacent to the Aberlady Bay car park. The adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS was also seen again at on the penultimate lagoon at Paull Holme Strays (East Yorks) whilst another PECTORAL SANDPIPER was at Saltholme Pools RSPB (Cleveland).

The GREAT WHITE EGRET remains at Island Mere, Minsmere RSPB (Suffolk) with another at Meare Heath (Somerset), with a juvenile CATTLE EGRET near Seaton (South Devon) at Colyford Common LNR.

HONEY BUZZARDS are showing well from the Raptor Viewpoint near Swanton Novers (Norfolk), with four birds in the air today.

A drake FERRUGINOUS DUCK was present at Loch Gelly (Fife) this morning, presumably the same bird seen at Skinflats Lagoon (Forth) yesterday afternoon.

An incredible 647 Whimbrels roosted yesterday over the high tide at Freiston Shore RSPB (Lincs), whilst also impressive, was a gathering of 186 Mediterranean Gulls along Southend-on-Sea seafront (Essex).

In Dorset, one of the Salisbury Plain introduction Great Bustards (wing-tagged 28) was at Chard Junction Gravel Workings, whilst the presumed escape Hooded Merganser remains at Radipole Lake.

The moulting adult COLLARED PRATINCOLE at High Eske NR, near Beverley, East Yorkshire, this week (Graham Catley)

This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert for Friday 24 July 2009, issued at midnight, published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers whilst utilising information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, local email groups and websites, BirdGuides and individual observers.

In North Norfolk, a fairly worn adult-type GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO was seen again this morning, commuting between the bramble patch on Gramborough Hill and the hedgerow bordering the Kelling Quags track. At around 0900 hours it flew to a tall Sycamore and rested in the sunlight for over an hour but then flew strongly east at 1100 hours and was not seen again during the day, despite extensive searching. Frustratingly, the bird was relocated this evening, in bushes just NW of Kelling Water Meadows.

Nearby, an adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER landed briefly on Simmond's Scrape, Cley NWT, early morning, whilst up to 11 EURASIAN SPOONBILLS graced Pat's Pool with their presence.

In East Norfolk, the spanking breeding-plumaged adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER remains for a third day at Breydon Water, being best seen over the high tide period or on an incoming tide (it disappeared at 1000 hours today).

An adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS was feeding on the middle lagoon at Paull Holme Strays (East Yorkshire) early morning, whilst another was still showing well just upstream of the bridge by the car park at Aberlady Bay (Lothian). Also in East Yorkshire, the moulting adult COLLARED PRATINCOLE (pictured above) was relocated at Tophill Low NR late afternoon, hawking over and roosting on South Marsh East. It showed well until 1920 but then flew north (access to reserve is by permit only obtained from reception centre priced £2.50 per person).

The 'barking' male LITTLE BITTERN continues its summer residency at Loxton Marsh, Walton Heath (Somerset), with the GREAT WHITE EGRET adjacent on the drained lagoon and reedbed close to the Meare Heath hide. Two WHITE STORKS flew north over the M5 close to the Avonmouth Bridge (Avon) at 0903.

In the Western Approaches, a feeding group of 4-5 WILSON'S STORM PETRELS remains with 100+ European Storm Petrels south of the Isles of Scilly, with a few GREAT SHEARWATERS being seen.

A total of 6 Leach's and 38 European Storm Petrels were trapped and ringed overnight on North Ronaldsay (Orkney), whilst an adult summer-plumaged SABINE'S GULL was seen from a Hebridean Whale Cruise vessel on the Rona Bank between the Isle of Skye and Gairloch (Highland) for a second day. The near adult FRANKLIN'S GULL in heavy wing moult continues to consort with 20 Common Gulls in fields along the Cornqouy Road at Graemeshall (HY 503 015), whilst an adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER remains for a 6th day on North Ronaldsay.

The COMMON CROSSBILL invasion continues unabated with some exceptional counts, including 390+ at Westworth Wood, Guisborough (Cleveland) and over 250 SW of Crawley (West Sussex) in St Leonard's Forest near Colgate.